Thursday, August 20, 2009

WTF?

I'm trying not to trip out, but, in anticipation of the official film list to be released today, I checked the Vanguard Programme and the current listing, and to my shock and horror, FISH TANK IS NO LONGER LISTED AS BEING SHOWN AT TIFF.

What the heck is going on? I'm freaking out now!!!

Last week, Cameron Bailey, the co-director of Tiff posted on twitter that a "huge" movie pulled out of tiff. Then the next morning, it tried to get back on the tiff schedule but that previous slot was filled already. And based on his comments, it was too little, too late to even come back on. So now that Fish Tank is mysteriously missing from the film list, I'm left to ponder if that one film I have been hanging my Tiff 09 plans on will now NOT be shown at tiff this year?

This is a major what the fuck for Fassinators!

Stay tuned...

For context, here are the two tweets from Cameron Bailey in reference to a film dropping out of Tiff:

* Major film dropped out today. You always expect disasters, but they're never the ones you think. 30 days to#TIFF094:02 PM Aug 11thfrom web

* That dropped film from yesterday suddenly came back this morning. Too late, too bad. Every hour counts now.10:34 AM Aug 12thfrom web

It would be just MY luck that the ONE film out of 300 friggin films, would be the one to mysteriously "drop out", then try to get back in, but is shut out by the Tiff planners.

Man, I'm dying to know the details. I'm so bummed out right now.

Update: The Official Guest List has been announced. No Michael Fassbender listed. No Andrea Arnold. So, no Fish Tank at Tiff 2009.

7 comments:

I so sorry for you, Simone. That was a bummer. I'm also sorry for the film. It needed the attention the festival would have given it. Especally in america. I hope we get an explantion why they pulled it out. Seems like someone seriously f***ed up. I googled "fish tan tiff" and came to a page telling me that the tiff site is down, but when i go to the main site everythig looks ok. I don't understand why they can't just say it's not showing anymore. Since they wouldn't let it back in he could have told which film he was talking about in the tweet. At least you have "The road" to look forward to. I hope it's as good as the book, which i loved.

Hey Karim, as a lot of people were looking forward to Fish Tank, not just Fassy fans, as news spread, people will be very curious as to what went down. Someone did seriously fuck up, and the ball was dropped, someone representing Fish Tank and/or Tiff were pissed off and now Fish Tank will not be screened as this most important and high profile film festival for North America.

I feel bad for everyone involved in Fish Tank as the high profile from Tiff would have given the film so much PR.

I personally thought that Michael didn't look so happy at the Basterds LA premiere last week, and maybe he knew then about what was happening with Fish Tank.

There are many films at tiff I still look forward to seeing, about a dozen really. But I was honestly putting all my eggs in one basket, for Fish Tank and possibly seeing Michael again.

He'll be back there again, and one way or another, I'll see Fish Tank, just not in a few weeks.

I'm still going to Toronto, but some Fassy fans will not because understandably, they were planning to go only in support of Michael and Fish Tank.

It just sucks all around. And it's not fair that we don't have an answer as to why.

I had to go offline for a few hours. But was trying to convince myself that when I came back online, all would be good in the Fish Tank world.

It's not a coincidence that all reference to Fish Tank was removed from the tiff website and none of the stars/director of the film were listed on the official guest list. Andrea Arnold, a double-A name would have been first on the list, and she wasn't there, nor was Fassbender. So, like the Fish Tank, something's fishy, but I'll go with the good vibes flow for now.

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